Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, informed the Lok Sabha about the approval for upgrading 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres to Saksham Anganwadis. These centers will focus on enhancing nutrition and Early Childhood Care and Education activities. The Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 aim to address malnutrition challenges by integrating Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and Scheme for Adolescent girls.
The Mission covers beneficiaries such as children under 6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls. The upgraded Anganwadi Centres will be equipped with improved infrastructure including LED screens, water filtration systems, and Early Childhood Care and Education materials. Additionally, they will provide Supplementary Nutrition to various groups based on the nutrition norms outlined in the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Savitri Thakur highlighted that the Scheme is closely monitored through the ‘Poshan Tracker’ digital application for real-time data entry and tracking of activities. The Mission Poshan 2.0 represents the government’s comprehensive approach to combat malnutrition and promote child development. Efforts under the scheme have shown a decline in anaemia prevalence among children aged 6–59 months, indicating positive outcomes from interventions like iron-folic acid supplementation and fortified foods.
